Germany, Italy say cannot join Board of Peace in current form

Germany and Italy said on Friday that they would be ready to join the US-led Board of Peace initiative, but cited constitutional problems for such a move.

"Italy's position is as follows. We are available. We are interested in this initiative. I also think Germany can play an important role here, because it concerns the stabilization of the Middle East," Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told a press briefing with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Rome.

"The work that can lead to a consolidation of this ceasefire and towards the proposal of a two-state solution—I think all of that requires our involvement. So we are ready, but of course there are objective problems. As the initiative is currently structured, there are problems with our Constitution. It would be unconstitutional for us to get involved," she added.

Meloni's statements on the issue were also echoed by the German chancellor. "A few weeks ago, I told President Trump that I would personally be willing to join a peace board if it were a body that, as originally planned, would accompany the peace process in Gaza which unfortunately has still not begun," Merz said.

"As the peace board is currently structured, we cannot accept the governance structures alone for constitutional reasons in Germany, but we are of course willing to try other forms, new forms of cooperation with the United States of America, when it comes to finding new formats that bring us closer to peace in different regions of the world," he added.

The board, launched in Davos on Thursday, was originally conceived to oversee the ceasefire and reconstruction of Gaza, where a ceasefire was reached in October as part of a 20-point plan by Trump, but its charter expands its mandate to peace-building in all areas affected by or at risk of conflict.